1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for monitoring interactions between biomolecules such as protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions. In particular, the present invention relates to a micro-fluidic device and to methods of using the micro-fluidic device to monitor biomolecular interactions.
2. Background of the Technology
In the last decade microfabrication technologies, originally developed for the silicon-based microelectronics industry, have spread out in a variety of applications as chemical and biochemical analysis tools (Wang, “Electrochemical Detection for Microscale Analytical Systems: A Review”, Talanta, 56, 2, 11, 223-231 (2002)). The progress in this area has been focused on the rapidly developing fields of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. It has also become evident that there is a tremendous market potential for microdevices aiding in diagnostics, drug discovery and evaluation of new pharmaceuticals, since these devices are expected to satisfy the urgent demand of high-throughput and large scale applications (Khandurina et al., “Bioanalysis in Microfluidic Devices”, Journal of Chromatog., A 943, 159-183 (2002)). Some advantages of miniaturizing chemical and bioanalytical tools include performance, speed, throughput, reduced cost, low sample and reagent consumption and the possibility of parallel and integrated analysis (McEnery et al., “Liquid Chromatography On-Chip: Progression Towards a μ-Total Analysis System”, Analyst, 125, 25-27 (2002)).
Micro-fluidic devices have typically been fabricated in glass or oxidized silicon (Si/SiO2). This approach to fabrication is successful, but is also slow and involves expensive instrumentation and complicated processes. See, for example, Duffy et al., “Rapid Prototyping Microfluidic System in Poly(dimethylsiloxane)”, Anal. Chem., 70, 4974-4984 (1998) and Björkman, et al., “Diamond Microchips for Fast Chromatography of Proteins: Sensors and Actuators”, B 79, 71-77 (2001)). As an alternative, polymers have been recognized as attractive materials for fabricating micro-fluidic devices. See, for example, Becker, et al., “Polymer Microfluidic Devices”, Talanta, 56, 267-287 (2002); Duffy et al., “Rapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Switches in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Their Actuation by Electro-osmotic Flow”, J. Micromech. Microeng., 9, 211-217 (1999); and Quin, et al., “Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems”, Microsystem Technology in Chemistry and Life Sciences, Chapter 1, Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg Germany (1998).
There still exists a need, however, for inexpensive and rapid manufacturing techniques for micro-fluidic devices, particularly for devices which allow the interactions between biomolecules such as proteins to be studied.